Kitri (Ige) mourns the dying Basilio (José Manuel Carreño) in Ballet San Jose's production of "Don Quixote," with Damir Emric as the title character (right).

Photo: Robert Shomler, San Jose Ballet

Kitri (Ige) mourns the dying Basilio (José Manuel Carreño) in...

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Kitri (Ige) mourns the dying Basilio (José Manuel Carreño) in Ballet San Jose's production of "Don Quixote," with Damir Emric as the title character (right).

Photo: Robert Shomler., San Jose Ballet

Kitri (Ige) mourns the dying Basilio (José Manuel Carreño) in...

Image 4 of 5

SJBALLET18
For SJBALLET18, datebook ; James Strong and Sayaka Tai are the groom and the bride in Ballet San Jose Silicon Valley's production of "Appalachian Spring", October 16-19 at San Jose Center for the Performing Arts. Photo By: John Gerbetz ; on 1/1/04 in .
John Gerbetz / HO

Photo: John Gerbetz

SJBALLET18
For SJBALLET18, datebook ; James Strong and Sayaka Tai...

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Karen Gabay as the Black Swan and Mark Otloski as Rothbart in Dennis Nahat's Swan Lake.
Photo by John Gerbetz

Wes Chapman's lively, colorful staging of the classic "Don Quixote" might not break any new ground for this 144-year-old ballet, but the frothy, lighthearted production that Ballet San Jose premiered at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts on Friday is nonetheless a solid showcase for a company.

The ballet's comic plot, drawn from Cervantes' epic novel, recounts the adventures of the mischievous Kitri, who longs to marry her poor but handsome suitor, Basilio. Over the history of "Don Quixote," so many versions and additions have been made, it's hard to say what the original really looked like, but Chapman, who leads Ballet San Jose as artistic adviser with Raymond Rodriguez, hews closely to what is generally accepted as the traditional Marius Petipa and Alexander Gorsky choreography.

A few other things have come to this "Don Quixote" from ABT, including the Santo Loquasto costumes, which still have plenty of ruffles and sparkle, though a few drooping tutus showed their age. Sets borrowed from Hans Christian Molbech's designs for Flemming Flindt's "The Toreador" - Loquasto's drapery framed the second act - worked admirably in the first and third acts as the backdrop of sunny Spain, brightened by David K.H. Elliott's lighting. And music director George Daugherty led Symphony Silicon Valley in a chipper reading of Ludwig Minkus' score.

An indirect import from ABT was guest artist José Manuel Carreño, who danced the role of the disarming yet impecunious barber Basilio in Friday's premiere. It's a role that Carreño, who retired from ABT in 2011, has honed to a fine point, and while the tricks and jumps might not come to him as easily as they once did, his was a star performance filled with charm.

As Kitri, soloist Junna Ige, stepping in on short notice for an injured Alexsandra Meijer, showed off lofty jumps and solid technique, although tightness in her dancing, which culminated in barely salvaged fouettes in the finale, betrayed nerves. Some of that skittishness was smoothed by Carreño's generous, chivalrous partnering. Who could not be beguiled by the glint in his eye and that easy, warm smile? This is a cavalier who can easily toss off five immaculate pirouettes and still be there in time to catch his partner.

There was less ease in the corps, which wanted neatness in the steps as well as lines, particularly in the second-act dream sequence, and which could have used more exuberance in the first act.

As the crisp, elegant street dancer Mercedes, Nutnaree Pipit-Suksun almost bourréed away with every scene she appeared in, flashing coquettish glances at matador Rudy Candia. In the second act, a gamine Maria Jacobs-Yu was particularly polished as Cupid, and Karen Gabay made a brief, welcome foray atop a table as the feisty barmaid. Elsewhere, the comic byplay between Anton Pankevitch as Kitri's father and Maximo Califano as her would-be suitor added bubbles of hilarity to an effervescent evening.